Barbara Kelly, a clinical instructor, and Patricia
Mitchell, a clinical assistant professor, submitted resignation
letters in January. They claimed interference by the Decker School
of Nursing administration had compromised their academic freedom.
In a statement issued Friday, BU Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs Mary Ann Swain said she has convened a faculty
committee from the Decker School to look into the matter. Because
the committee hasn't completed its work, she said comment would be
"premature."
"It is the university's obligation to balance the
responsibilities of faculty to evaluate students' learning with the
rights of students to be graded fairly -- an obligation we take very
seriously," Swain said in the statement. "The resignation of faculty
for alleged administrative interference does raise concerns, both
within the Decker School of Nursing and within my office."
Kelly and Mitchell claim the administration improperly sought
better grades for students in the Baccalaureate Accelerated Track, a
nursing program that allows students with a bachelor's degree to get
a second one in nursing in a year.
Kelly claims papers by a group of students in one of her courses
were given higher grades after the students bypassed normal
grievance procedures and went straight to the administration. Since
the resignations, the school has begun to review the papers and the
grades.
Mitchell claims she was told to give an incomplete to a student,
who came late and failed to meet course objectives.
"We all have a threshold for bending the rules, and mine was
breached," Kelly said.
Calls to Sarah Gueldner, the dean of the nursing school, and
Masha Britten, director of the undergraduate nursing program, and
Joyce Ferrario, associate dean of graduate nursing, were not
returned.
Kelly said her problems began in the fall semester, when she was
called into Britten's office in response to complaints by six
students in one of her courses. She was told that students saw her
as "rigid and autocratic." Kelly said she was confused by a
conversation she said included few details.
Kelly said she was told the students had "a right to
confidentiality and a fear of retribution" when she asked for
details. She said she wondered if the complaints were grade-driven
since three of the students had received a failing grade for a
paper. She also said she didn't understand why the students weren't
advised to address their concerns to her or Mitchell, the course
coordinator.
Mitchell was instructed to tell Kelly to inform students that the
guidelines for their next paper had changed, they said. Kelly and
Mitchell said such an action from the administration is
unprecedented.
Four students failed the next paper. They complained to Britten,
who assigned a professor to re-read the papers, Kelly said. A paper
that was "rife with errors" was given 35 additional points, she
said. A paper that was solid but off the assigned topic was given an
A, Kelly said.
After Kelly turned in her grades, Mitchell said she was told by
the Decker School's administration to give the six students an
incomplete. Mitchell complied once the request was made in writing.
Kelly said she felt her credibility as an instructor had been
destroyed, and she had no other choice but to step down.
In addition to being coordinator for Kelly's course, Mitchell ran
into an alleged improper grade-changing situation of her own that
made her turn in her resignation, she said.
A BAT student in one of her courses routinely turned in
assignments late and was tardy for class. In October, Mitchell
warned her in writing that she was failing, and that she needed to
come to class on time and finish assignments on time. Mitchell said
she was told by Britten and Ferrario that she could not fail a
student "because she was late a few times this semester," Mitchell
wrote in her resignation letter.
The student continued her pattern of tardiness and turning in
assignments late. Mitchell said she was told to give the student an
additional assignment to rectify the incomplete she earned. But
Mitchell said the student had failed the course and hadn't earned an
incomplete. Mitchell said she refused to give the student the
assignment, but consented to giving her an incomplete if Britten put
the request in writing.
"The students have ... been given the message that course
objectives are not important, anyone will pass whether or not the
course objectives are met," Mitchell wrote in her resignation
letter. "This is troubling to me, as I would not want someone caring
for me or for any of my family members if this person were not
responsible and accountable for the care he/she would provide."
The grievance policy
Kelly said the students' actions violate the student grievance
policy set in the nursing school's handbook.
According to the Decker School's grievance policy, students must
first go to the person immediately involved with the situation. If a
solution can't be reached, then the student can file a complaint
with the administration.
"Failure to follow the process of the grievance procedure will
void the complaint," reads the nursing department's student
handbook.
James Dix, a chemistry professor and vice president for academics
for the Binghamton Chapter of the Union of University Professions,
said the case is troubling. The proper mechanisms for grievance
weren't followed in this situation, he said.
"We recognize that there has to be a mechanism for administration
to change grades, but in this case that mechanism wasn't followed,"
Dix said.
The Decker School had 44 faculty members as of fall 2004 and 486
undergraduate, graduate and non-degree-seeking students. Of those
students, 68 are BAT students. In the 2003-04 school year, 112
bachelor's degrees, 16 master's degrees and one doctoral degree were
conferred by the Decker School.
The undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education through 2008. During a
recent examination period, from July 1, 2004, to Sept. 30, 2004,
90.28 percent of the class of 2004 passed their National Council
Licensure examination for registered nurses. The New York state pass
rate for the examination for the same period was 83.03 percent.
Kelly and Mitchell said the alleged grade changing could
undermine the school's accomplishments.
Both women have found work elsewhere since resigning. Mitchell
works part time as a registered nurse at Wilson Memorial Regional
Medical Center in Johnson City and has a contract with Chenango
Memorial Hospital to do staff education. She said her jobs combine
her two loves: nursing and education.
Kelly works as a nurse practitioner at the New York state Office
of Children and Family Services.
Kelly and Mitchell said they're concerned that students are being
passed through the school without having established the proper
discipline so the school can keep a grant for the BAT program.
"Nursing is a calling," said Kelly, a nurse for almost 30 years
and a graduate of the Decker School. "You have to be wired in a
certain way. ... It's more than just doing stuff to people. You have
to be up close and personal with people at their most vulnerable."
